Melbourne are considering a major overhaul of their football department by creating a new position, as incoming CEO Paul Guerra eyes further change ahead of the 2026 season.

Competition sources have confirmed the Demons, who are on the lookout for a new senior coach after the sudden sacking of Simon Goodwin, are also making inroads into creating a new senior role – to be in charge of strategy.

The West Coast Eagles did a similar thing at the end of last season, hiring their premiership coach John Worsfold to oversee the football department in a role that the club said would include coaching structure, development, performance and culture.

If the club were to make the appointment in the off-season, it would mean that current football boss Alan Richardson, who is contracted for 2026 is part of the club’s subcommittee to choose the next coach, would answer to the new appointment.

The role would essentially sit between the football department and Guerra, who officially starts as chief executive on September 8.

The club wouldn’t be drawn into commenting when contacted on Monday.

The Age can also reveal the club’s psychologist, Stephen Rendall, has resigned after nearly four years at the Demons.

The club said Rendall, a performance psychologist, would continue to work for the club in the background up until the national draft until a proper handover was organised.

Rendall, who formerly worked as North Melbourne’s psychologist, has worked for the club during a turbulent period for the playing group, including a difficult trade period last year when star midfielders Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca both tried to leave but were denied trades by the Demons.

Rendall is the third major departure from the club in recent weeks, who has parted ways with Goodwin and one of his right-hand men, Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark “Choco” Williams.

Guerra, who did the radio rounds on Friday night before the Demons’ tight loss to Collingwood, said he and the club have shown they are not afraid to make tough decisions.

He said the club will announce a new coach by preliminary final weekend.

“I think a new coach coming in means that there will be more change in there,” he said.

“We want to set this coach up, whoever it is, to be successful over the next decade. There’s no doubt they’ll have a view on the game plan that they want to play, and we want to be able to support that.

“They’ll probably have a view on who they want as some of the assistants as well.

“We’ve got a number of assistants that will carry through, we’ll obviously look to see what the new coach wants to do as well, and we’ll support that coach to make sure that they’re going to be successful.”

Love it and let the clean out continue

Where is the money coming from to pay for this?

Definitely happy to see a new psychologist at the club, we have been mentally broken since 23.

15 minutes ago, Fritta and Turner said:

Where is the money coming from to pay for this?

Is this a serious question?

28 minutes ago, Fritta and Turner said:

Where is the money coming from to pay for this?

The magical man from Happyland, in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Lane.

Richo back to a job that suits him with more coaching, hands on footy stuff.

Someone with a more analytical background as the actual GM of footy.

Might not be the cleanest transition but seems sensible especially with non footy CEO.

The biggest issue is it’s very hard to find quality people with footy admin experience given it’s really only turned in to a professional role in the last decade.

Guerra looks like be making the right moves early

Guerra might also be aware that he doesn’t have a whole lot of footy experience so wants someone to help with that side of things and oversee the FD, while reporting directly to him

I think it’s a good idea and could resolve a number of issues around Richo, and eliminate some of the concerns around Guerra’s lack of footy experience

This is turning into a bit of a clean out

No mucking around

Good

It may be a good idea to supplement Guerra’s lack of footy knowledge but it also just sounds like a role that completely defangs the Head of FD role. Also, you can have that role with McQualter - but you can’t have it with a Buckley or someone more authoritative and knowledgeable. The head coach should drive the things that are mentioned.

It’s funny, it’s very much the argument in world football with Managers and Directors of Football. I think it can work but your governance and recruitment have to be spot on.

How are ours travelling?

Che Guerra is in charge now. We don't Fidel around.

58 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

Love it and let the clean out continue

Yep purge, and rip the bandaids of, need more to go!

I don't have much of an understanding of these appointments. I remember years ago when these 'director of coaching' roles started popping up and I thought that was Richardsons role, to sit above the coaches and provide guidance and report to the CEO.

How is this new role different? Does Richardson now have more or less responsibilities or has it just that the focus shifted?

I think it’s more replacing Richardson without firing him.

50 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Richo back to a job that suits him with more coaching, hands on footy stuff.

Development?

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

Competition sources have confirmed the Demons, who are on the lookout for a new senior coach after the sudden sacking of Simon Goodwin, are also making inroads into creating a new senior role – to be in charge of strategy.

Isn’t it the CEO’s role to be in charge of strategy? Why does he need another person to be between him and the Head of Football?

Guerra setting up the new look …

1 hour ago, Fritta and Turner said:

Where is the money coming from to pay for this?

My membership. I wrote it in the contract: "I want a new strategy boss." So you can thank me, though I'm not sure my membership will entirely cover it.

Edited August 25Aug 25 by Chook

1 hour ago, rpfc said:

Also, you can have that role with McQualter - but you can’t have it with a Buckley or someone more authoritative and knowledgeable.

I’d argue it’s just as important - Buckley has no experience outside the filth bubble, save for his first year at the bears, which was over 30 years ago and in a completely different era of football

He’s going to need just as much, if not more, help than an experienced assistant coach coming out of multiple football programs

Maybe Goodwin would have been a better coach if he had a strategist in place, as long as we would accept the advice. I am not sure what this would mean for Richardson’s role. Good to see major change coming.

10 hours ago, Demonland said:

Melbourne are considering a major overhaul of their football department by creating a new position, as incoming CEO Paul Guerra eyes further change ahead of the 2026 season.

Competition sources have confirmed the Demons, who are on the lookout for a new senior coach after the sudden sacking of Simon Goodwin, are also making inroads into creating a new senior role – to be in charge of strategy.

The West Coast Eagles did a similar thing at the end of last season, hiring their premiership coach John Worsfold to oversee the football department in a role that the club said would include coaching structure, development, performance and culture.

If the club were to make the appointment in the off-season, it would mean that current football boss Alan Richardson, who is contracted for 2026 is part of the club’s subcommittee to choose the next coach, would answer to the new appointment.

The role would essentially sit between the football department and Guerra, who officially starts as chief executive on September 8.

The club wouldn’t be drawn into commenting when contacted on Monday.

The Age can also reveal the club’s psychologist, Stephen Rendall, has resigned after nearly four years at the Demons.

The club said Rendall, a performance psychologist, would continue to work for the club in the background up until the national draft until a proper handover was organised.

Rendall, who formerly worked as North Melbourne’s psychologist, has worked for the club during a turbulent period for the playing group, including a difficult trade period last year when star midfielders Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca both tried to leave but were denied trades by the Demons.

Rendall is the third major departure from the club in recent weeks, who has parted ways with Goodwin and one of his right-hand men, Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark “Choco” Williams.

Guerra, who did the radio rounds on Friday night before the Demons’ tight loss to Collingwood, said he and the club have shown they are not afraid to make tough decisions.

He said the club will announce a new coach by preliminary final weekend.

“I think a new coach coming in means that there will be more change in there,” he said.

“We want to set this coach up, whoever it is, to be successful over the next decade. There’s no doubt they’ll have a view on the game plan that they want to play, and we want to be able to support that.

“They’ll probably have a view on who they want as some of the assistants as well.

“We’ve got a number of assistants that will carry through, we’ll obviously look to see what the new coach wants to do as well, and we’ll support that coach to make sure that they’re going to be successful.”

Starting to like this bloke

9 hours ago, Tim said:

Isn’t it the CEO’s role to be in charge of strategy? Why does he need another person to be between him and the Head of Football?

is this a serios question. Is the CEO role to be in charge of football strategy???

9 hours ago, Tim said:

Isn’t it the CEO’s role to be in charge of strategy? Why does he need another person to be between him and the Head of Football?

Tim see the post two before yours and even the following one and there could be the answer.

Maybe it also encourages Richo to look around at other options.

It is not the creation of another role as I see it, but rather a renaming at best and maybe a way to change the person in it and even remove the salary from the soft cap, if it is included in it.